Congenital Heart Defects - Exams and Tests
Congenital Heart Defects Guide
- Topic Overview
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
Tests for children and adults continued...
A stress test (exercise electrocardiogram) can be done to check if a child or an adult with a heart defect needs exercise restrictions or to see if exercise performance is changing over time. This test might be done before a child starts school or before a teen or adult starts a new exercise program.
Adults who have congenital heart defects need routine checkups. Be sure you have a primary care physician. You might also need to see your cardiologist regularly, such as once a year.
Early detection
If you are thinking of becoming pregnant and you or your partner has a congenital heart defect, it's best to plan ahead for a pregnancy. Genetic counseling can help you find out your risk of passing a heart defect to your child.
If you are already pregnant and you or your partner has a family history of congenital heart defects, a fetal echocardiogram or genetic testing may be done during pregnancy.
A baby may be checked for congenital heart defects if:
- The mother had rubella during pregnancy.
- The mother has diabetes or phenylketonuria.
- The mother or father has a congenital heart defect.